


The Only Thing That Never Fails

by Aaskada



Series: a string of barely coherent vignettes [8]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends: Knights of the Old Republic (Video Games)
Genre: And Kote is a six year old helicopter parent, Cody is Kote, Cuddling, Enemies With Benefits, Enemies to Lovers, Fantasy Tropes, Handcuffed Together, Jangobi Week, Jangobi Week 2021, M/M, Obi-Wan's Mandalorian kink, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Time Travel, and not very good at it, forced to work together, mention of the Cathar genocide, one (1) non-explicit handjob, they might be getting down but they aren't getting along, will probably be as spicy as it gets
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-02
Updated: 2021-02-04
Packaged: 2021-03-12 23:02:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,604
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29143416
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aaskada/pseuds/Aaskada
Summary: Jango Fett and Obi-Wan Kenobi fall in love, fall into bed, and fall into the past—but not in that order.
Relationships: Boba Fett & Jango Fett, CC-2224 | Cody & CT-7567 | Rex, Jango Fett/Obi-Wan Kenobi
Series: a string of barely coherent vignettes [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1987279
Comments: 67
Kudos: 441
Collections: Jangobi Week





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So I am going to do my best to shove all fourteen prompts into this story and it may or may not get done on time based on how long the chapters run. Since Star Wars is just fantasy in space, the fantasy au prompts will just be in the form of various fantasy tropes throughout the story.
> 
> Day 1|Enemies to Lovers/Cuddling  
> Day 2|Time Travel/Fantasy AU  
> Day 3|Undercover/Outfit Swap  
> Day 4|Forced to Work Together/Handcuffed  
> Day 5|Competence Kink/Rain  
> Day 6|Fix-It AU/Blood  
> Day 7|Happy Ending/Dancing

Obi-Wan did plenty of research in preparation for the mission to Mandalore—especially on the events that led up to the assassination of Duke Kryze and his oldest surviving child's ascension to the Sundari throne. Up until Jango Fett is declared dead at Galidraan and the True Mandalorian movement fell apart Duke Kryze had been an ardent supporter. The temple reports on Galidraan are at odds with this. As a pacifist and strong proponent of reform the late Duke is unlikely to have supported a leader who apparently terrorized and murdered Republic citizens unprovoked—not to mention Master Dooku's reports say he handed Fett over to the governor for justice, yet it is also said Fett died on Galidraan. Or was, up until Jango Fett resurfaced five years later.

Obi-Wan doesn't go looking for him. He's a padawan still and the man's a known Jedi killer even if Obi-Wan is past believing what the reports say about the circumstances and the fact that he hasn't been knighted yet means people are beginning to talk. By the time he is knighted he has Anakin to look after and Fett vanishes again.

The first time they meet Obi-Wan is on a solo mission while Anakin attends classes at the temple. If he'd known Fett would be there— well, he wouldn't really have done anything differently, but at least he might not have made such a poor showing. He survives with minimal injuries at least. There are several more missions where they come across each other—though fortunately never truly at cross purposes—and at least one with Anakin when Obi-Wan is sure Fett was around before circumstances align to arrange a meeting during which they have no choice but to be civil. Obi-Wan is assigned to assist a negotiation with the Trade Federation on Taris and one of the parties brings Fett as a guard. The Federation's representative complains and tries to have Fett thrown out, but Obi-Wan dryly informs them that if they want Fett to leave they'll have to send away their own security as well.

Fett corners him in his room after the first night and presses him against the wall. He seems to take Obi-Wan's gasp as startlement even as Fett pins him close enough that his nerves buzz at the proximity.

"I'm watching you, _jetii_ ," Fett's voice rasps through his external speakers.

"Should you be away from your client?" he asks, clawing together just enough composure to keep his voice steady. "I'm sure you're aware the Trade Federation is not above assassination and sabotage."

His hands are flat against the wall behind him. If he lifts them he'll do something unfortunate like touch Fett and Quinlan would never let him live that down if Fett doesn't just kill him and be done with it. Fett's helmet tilts just the slightest bit closer. If he wasn't wearing it Obi-Wan might have been stupid enough to kiss him by now.

"They wouldn't dare."

"They're bold and not very smart when they think they have the advantage."

Fett finally steps back. There's no way Obi-Wan could feel his body heat through the beskar'gam and his own layers, but the air felt superheated by tension anyway and he shivers as it cools. Fett definitely notices that. The only reaction is a second's hesitation before Fett is back out of his rooms before Anakin comes out of the fresher. They don't talk again before each goes their own way, but Obi-Wan can feel Fett's attention on him for the remainder of the tenday.

Next time they see each other is another solo mission, one Obi-Wan is guiltily grateful to take while Anakin goes through another phase of resentment. Those are becoming more common as Anakin grows into his teenage years. The exact sequence of events that lands him on Fett's ship is admittedly a bit of a blur once the shootout starts and by the time it's over he's too busy being surprised by the toddler in his lap to ask questions. Even before the helmet comes off he can comfortably say Boba is just like his father: demanding and prone to small acts of petty revenge, even at three years old. If Boba doesn't think Obi-Wan is paying him enough attention tiny fingers start tugging on his newly grown beard or digging into his ribs. Fett hands him a bowl of tiingilar vibrant enough he knows it will be searingly spicy even before the fumes hit him.

"If you want me dead so badly, you could have just left me behind."

Fett looks at him holding the bowl away, eyes already starting to water, and stifles a laugh. The almost friendliness doesn't last long. Boba is put to sleep and Fett shoves him into the other bunk and supervises with crossed arms and a severe frown while he gives himself a cursory wash with a face towel and strips off most of the layers of his robes. The only reason Fett drags him into bed is because he doesn't trust Obi-Wan with his son, but it still ends with Fett's hand down the front of his trousers while he whines into the palm of one hand. They spend the night curled together and never talk about it. Four days later they land on Bothawui and Fett kicks him out of the ship to find his own way back to Coruscant.

For the next three years they fall in and out of bed together when their goals don't have them at odds and coming to blows when they do find themselves on opposite sides. He's had his legs around Fett's waist and Fett's hand on his throat often enough in both contexts to give himself some awkward associations. Quinlan, the insufferable bastard, smirks salaciously at him whenever Mandalorians come up—although that's not actually new. Quinlan's been making dirty jokes since he came back from Mandalore and submitted a report about being on the run, alone with Satine Kryze for several months. Anakin still thinks he's suggesting Obi-Wan wear armor. Obi-Wan should explain otherwise, but there are several conversations in there he doesn't want to have with anyone let alone with his own padawan who as of late is always looking for fault.


	2. Chapter 2

Anakin has exams and Obi-Wan has a reputation for dealing with Sith nonsense—one he knows is ill-earned—so he goes off to investigate rumors of someone poking around the tombs on Korriban. Not a Sith, as they carry blasters instead of a lightsaber, but the council would prefer Korriban is left alone altogether. One need not be trained to unleash a Sith curse on the galaxy in a place like Korriban. But for all that he's battled a Sith and brushed the dark in the process Obi-Wan is far from a proper Sith hunter and the old tombs are no place for the unwary or the unaware.

There aren't any bounties out for for Sith artefacts or trips to Sith worlds, but that's no true indication. Most of the galaxy doesn't truly understand the difference between Sith and Jedi beyond their colors of choice anyway—it isn't unusual to find Sith objects on sale or display as Jedi artefacts or even generically listed as force artefacts by those either having no idea what is in their possession or trying to avoid Jedi scrutiny. Mandalorians can be counted on to remember the difference—and that Korriban is the old Sith capital—and usually have the sense to stay away. So it's a bit of a surprise to recognize the Slave 1 when he finally locates the ship outside an especially ancient-looking tomb. Someone is willing to pay a lot of money for Sith artefacts if they've offered a price high enough for Jango Fett to come into Sith space. When he reaches out through the force to see if Jango has left his ship yet he's alarmed to find that Boba is aboard. He can't feel Jango, but beskar'gam is notorious for its force dampening abilities.

There are Sithspawn on Korriban engineered to hunt force sensitives. None nearby so far as he can tell, but they're hard to detect with the force and possess a wide range of poorly documented abilities. Much as Obi-Wan would like to make sure Boba is safe getting near the Slave 1 could put him in danger instead. No matter how aggravating Jango can be, Obi-Wan won't risk bringing Sithspawn down on either of them. He hails the ship and Boba answers.

"Obi'buir!" Boba greets him cheerfully. "Su cuyi!"

"Su cuy'gar, Boba. Is Jango there?"

"No. Are you coming to visit?"

Obi-Wan smiles at Boba even as he prepares himself to withstand the child's disappointment.

"I'm afraid not—there are some rather unfriendly creatures on Korriban that hunt force sensitives. I wouldn't want to put you in danger."

"I can fight them! Jan'buir is teaching me how to use a blaster."

Boba pulls out the blaster in question—a tiny holdout that certainly couldn't do anything against a Sithspawn—and brandishes it for Obi-Wan to see. He has to cover his smile with one hand before Boba takes offense.

"So I see! I'm afraid a blaster wouldn't do much good, though," Obi-Wan says. "Sithspawn are very hard to kill, even Jango would have trouble with one."

"Jan'buir would win," Boba insists.

The optimism of youth. Obi-Wan doesn't argue the point—with any luck Boba would never have to know one way or the other if his father could with a fight against a Sithspawn.

"Do you know where Jango went?"

"He said the old man wanted something." Boba shrugs.

"Then I'll just have to wait for him to come back."

Seeing as Boba knows nothing more about the job or who hired Jango to do it and he can't feel Jango in the force—either because of his beskar'gam or some property of the Sith tombs—he settles in to chat with Boba while he waits. He can't quite manage a geosynchronous orbit, but he doesn't want to land either so he lets his ship drift in orbit. So far as he knows there shouldn't be anything to disrupt the signal on Korriban. Two hours later Jango still hasn't returned and Obi-Wan is concerned enough to risk landing to search for him. The nearest tomb to where the Slave 1 is landed isn't far. That's as much as Obi-Wan knows about it as his study of the Sith after facing Maul didn't include what he'd seen at the time as pointless details. Given that there were Shadows to do these things he never thought he'd find himself on the barren world that was the original home of the Sith race before they became the dark side cult who where enemies of the Jedi. He knows just enough about Sith architecture to know that the obvious route in is a trap, but not enough he can even begin to guess where to find other doors.

Obi-Wan lands next to the Slave 1 and isn't attacked in the short time he is exposed before Boba lets him onto the ship. That isn't as reassuring as one might hope. He still isn't sure if the bad feeling he has is the result of a warning from the force, his own reservations about being in Sith space, or the millennia of darkness that have sunk into Korriban from the time it was ravaged by the Rakata up until the Sith were finally believed gone when the line of Bane disappeared into the history books. He tries to shake off his misgivings so they don't lead him astray.

"Hello, dear one."

Boba latches onto his waist as soon as the door closes again and Obi-Wan hugs him back. He's quickly distracted by the two presences he somehow missed in his earlier scan of the ship—the younger looks exactly like Boba except for his blond hair cropped to short curls while the older looks about twice their age. He's not sure how he's never met the pair before given how often travels Boba with Jango. It's odd that he takes only one of his children with him—and that the older boy is so wary about his presence, although Obi-Wan can put that down to being the only one old enough to understand what a dangerous situation they're in. He lightly tugs one of Boba's curls.

"Introduce your brothers to me, Boba."

Boba makes a grumpy noise and presses his face against Obi-Wan's ribs, so he tugs again.

"Boba." When that gets no response he sighs and turns to the other two boys. "I am Obi-Wan Kenobi, may I know your names?"

Boba's blond twin looks at him with wide eyes, looking to their older brother for direction. When he gets none the boy edges slowly forward.

"Rex."

Obi-Wan smiles and sinks to the floor cross-legged. "Like Rexutu the Unconquerable? That's a good name."

Boba crawls into his lap and shoves his face into Obi-Wan's neck, forcing him to break eye contact with Rex to avoid being headbutted.

"Don't be rude," he reprimands Boba even though it's already obvious it will do no good.

When he looks up again Rex is just beyond arm length away. He slowly raises a hand to offer it to Rex, who looks nervously at Boba before taking it. Obi-Wan gently tugs Rex into his lap with Boba. They both manage to settle into his lap without any fighting even if Obi-Wan has to poke Boba a few times to make him behave. Rex clutches his robes and purrs happily. Their older brother emerges from his hiding spot and though he's still frowning he seems to be less wary now that the twins have attached themselves to Obi-Wan.

"May I know your name?" he asks again.

"Kote."

The answer is clipped and unwelcoming, but it is an answer. There are a variety of polite acknowledgements for introductions that he can't do while on the floor with two children hanging off of him and that a child wouldn't likely care about anyway so he settles for a verbal one.

"Hello, Kote, it's nice to meet you."

As much as he doesn't mind hugging the children or using the force to keep circulation in his legs, he came down to Korriban for a reason. He needs to find Jango and find out who hired him to go grave robbing on one of the most dangerous planets in the galaxy. Boba didn't know, but maybe Kote does.

"Do you know anything about what Jango is looking for?"

Kote shakes his head. When Obi-Wan just thanks him anyway he opens his mouth, then hesitates. Obi-Wan waits, carefully ignoring Kote's indecision.

"Tyranus hired him to get something."

Tyranus. Clearly a Sith name, perhaps even Maul's Sith master. This is the first time he has gotten any name at all in the years since the Naboo Crisis, their only lead in that time. Obi-Wan has to take a moment to compose himself so as not to alarm the children.

"Thank you for telling me. I suppose I shall have to give him a bit longer before I go looking. Have you eaten?"

The answer to that question is no, so he shuffles them all into the galley kitchen and sees about putting together a simple meal. Jango still hasn't returned by the time they're done eating. It's been another hour and there's no good excuse to keep putting it off. He still doesn't want to leave them alone on the ship, but at least Kote is old enough to know how to pilot the ship if it comes to it. He makes sure Kote has a blaster—one stronger than Boba's stun gun—and knows how to use it before heading down the ramp and toward the only entrance to the tomb that he can see.

It's dark in the tomb. Physically dark, as expected, and drenched in the dark side of the force, but also somehow the shadows are deeper than they should be even when he shines his torch on them. Sometimes he isn't sure if they are actually recoiling and writhing in the light or if he's only imagining it. If the shadows could live anywhere it would be in an old Sith tomb. Distant footsteps follow him and he can never quite make out where they're coming from—are they his own steps reverberating through the empty halls? Is something coming up behind him? Or is he close to finding Jango? If he lets himself linger he'll go mad without any additional help from whatever ghosts linger farther in, so he takes a breath and pushes on. He barely avoids a pit trap and sidesteps several rusted out, spring-loaded spikes. No doubt there are other routes through the tomb, but the one before him is the only one he can see so he keeps following it. Obi-Wan swaps the light to his other hand and wipes his sweaty palm on his robes. Nothing happens, but that doesn't stop the stress from building.

Finally, after long enough Obi-Wan thoroughly loses track of time, the hall stops winding around and lets him out into a cavernous chamber. It might be near the center of the structure, but he isn't anymore sure of that than he is of how long it took him to get there. The fact that there seem to have been no functioning traps makes him think this tomb might be old enough to predate the first Empire. What the Sith hopes to find in a tomb older than the force traditions spawned in Sith space he couldn't begin to guess. All that matters to Obi-Wan is the armored figure standing over and altar-like protrusion at the center of the room. He picks his way across the room quietly and stops just out of reach.

"What are you doing, Jango?"

Jango turns slowly, like he isn't entirely aware. At first Obi-Wan isn't sure Jango recognizes him.

"Kenobi?"

"That's me," he says, purposefully light. "I thought you knew better than to go spending time in Sith ruins. You left your children outside, Jango."

"My...?"

Obi-Wan can't read Jango through the force when he's wearing beskar'gam in ideal circumstances let alone in the middle of a tomb on Korriban, but his slow reactions and incomprehension are worrying. Maybe the beskar is shielding him somewhat from the lingering Sith influence. If it is, it isn't doing a good enough job.

"Yes. Boba and Rex and Kote. You left them outside, Jango. It's been hours." One hand hovers uselessly in the air between them, Obi-Wan too uncertain what reaction touch will get. "I fed them, but you need to come outside now."

For a moment Jango doesn't move, caught between whatever force trap he's set off and the knowledge that his children are waiting for him. Then Obi-Wan makes the mistake of stepping closer. A circle he hadn't noticed previously, etched into the floor, lights up searingly bright in the darkness and circles the altar. More etchings light up in geometric patterns and Sith writing he couldn't hope to understand even if he wasn't standing in the middle of it. Years of studying the Sith have not in the slightest prepared him for this. Then he hears a voice from the doorway and glances across at the figures he can barely see through the light. His breath catches in his throat and he freezes, too horrified to warn the children away as they follow him into the room.

"Buir!" Boba shouts.

The next thing Obi-Wan knows, he's lying in the mud in a jungle with a tiny blond limpet attached to his chest. Rex looks about three years old now and when Obi-Wan recovers enough to look around he sees Kote nearby looking dazed, tangled up in clothes for a child twice his apparent age. Boba hasn't gotten any younger, though, and is leaning over Jango patting his helm. Obi-Wan still has his beard and his hair is shoulder length so he doesn't think he de-aged himself and he won't know about Jango until the helm comes off. Rex recognizes him at least and Kote gravitates their direction once he's done his best to sort out his clothing. Rex personally is only wearing his red shirt which now reaches his knees, but Kote is not enough shorter to do the same. Obi-Wan picks up the trousers and shoes with the force and does his best to knock the mud off before offering them to Kote.

"These will probably suit you better and Rex won't be needing them right now."

Kote's nose scrunches up in disgruntlement, but he does look relieved once he changes into better fitting clothing. The shirt is still long, but not enough to get in his way. In one hand he's still holding the blaster Obi-Wan gave him when heading out of the Slave 1. It's streaked with mud and too big in Kote's smaller hands. He looks ready to use it. Obi-Wan should be discouraging that, but he has no idea where they are and Jango is still out on the ground.

There are hundreds of planets and moons across the galaxy this could be just accounting for the ones Obi-Wan is at least marginally aware of—a smaller number of which have Sith presence, or had at some point in their history enough of one to leave an impression. Those are the most likely, but once again he's running into the fact that his knowledge of the Sith is weighted very heavily toward fighting them and he knows very little about the structures they left across the galaxy. The tomb of Freedon Nadd on Dxun, relocated brick by brick from the surface of Onderon, is the only one that comes to mind immediately. He can't feel anything like the tombs of Korriban nearby, but he can admit he's distracted. As he reaches out to the force to try and clarify their situation he abruptly realizes all of his force bonds have gone numb—he can't feel Anakin or Mace or any of his clanmates. The whole galaxy feels different.

Once he finally makes it to his feet without dropping Rex or stepping on Kote, Obi-Wan staggers over to Jango and Boba. He stands over them swaying and trying to decide if getting back on the ground to check on Jango is worth the effort it will cost him to stand up again afterward. Eventually he gives in to his concern for the only other adult in this situation and slides back down.

He can't see any injuries that explain why Jango hasn't woken up yet. At the same time, Obi-Wan never asked how long Jango was in the tomb before he arrived on Korriban himself. Not so long that Boba worried, but Boba is good at entertaining himself and supremely confident in Jango's capabilities. Obi-Wan sets Rex on Jango's chest and hauls his head closer to release the seals and pull his helm off. Jango's face is grey and without the beskar muffling his force presence he's also dim with exhaustion. As far as Obi-Wan can tell without actual healer training he just needs to sleep it off. The force nudges faintly against his awareness in the way he usually associates with Jango, but also recognizes from facing Death Watch commandos from the Clans—those who wear true beskar'gam. He shoves the helm back on and redoes the seals as quickly as he can.

Just in time, it seems, for a Mandalorian patrol to melt out of the jungle surrounding them. Kote is quick to raise his blaster, but it's too heavy for him and wouldn't do any good anyway. Obi-Wan is too caught up with their armor to pay it much mind. Knowing Death Watch had meant studying Mandalorian history far more extensively than was common among the Jedi. This style of armor—with the helm in the form of a mask set into a cowl and the full atmospheric seal—is most strongly associated with the Neo-Crusaders, but was the popular style for about four hundred years starting with Mandalore the Indomitable and carrying through the Old Sith Wars. The style was practical if one expected to be doing fisticuffs in depressurized ships, but required near perfect fitting and was difficult to design for races that diverged strongly from human-shaped causing it to go out of style once the heaviest of the fighting ended with the death of Sith Emperor Vitiate. There is no one who would be wearing it after the Ruusan Reformations—certainly not an entire patrol worth of Mandalorians.


	3. Chapter 3

Very fortunately they seem to have been found by a group of Mandalorians whose policy on Jedi isn't to just kill them. Less fortunately, if Obi-Wan is remembering the dates correctly the fact that Mandalore the Preserver is on Dxun probably means the First Jedi Purge is currently underway or will be shortly if not. He knows better than to think he can do anything about that. His experience against the Sith is far less than the average Jedi of this time and he has neither resources nor allies to help them. Even if Rex and Kote weren't so thoroughly clingy he is sure they would follow him, he doesn't have the first idea where to start. While Boba refuses to leave Jango's side for longer than the time it takes to wrestle him into a pond to wash him and his clothes of the mud, Kote and Rex are both the same with Obi-Wan. He's a bit concerned with that, but that's a situation that can't be sorted out until Jango wakes anyway.

Mandalore scavenges up some spacer gear for Obi-Wan and some properly fitting clothes for Rex. Obi-Wan doesn't know where he got any of it when there's no one around to trade with, but he's also beyond arguing with someone who's willing to help him over something so minor. Mandalorians are resourceful people and he can't risk being obviously Jedi with the likes of the Sith Triumvirate out there somewhere; his own boots are fine as is his leather belt and various pouches, but the rest of his robes stand out too much surrounded by heavily armed and armored Mandalorians. Mandalore also gives him a pair of relatively new personal shield generators. They're the same technology as ship shielding and he can't remember when or why they stopped being produced. Probably either around the end of the Sith Wars or at the Ruusan Reformations when the Republic rather short-sightedly declared there would be no more war in the galaxy ever again.

With his lightsaber clips relocated to the back of his belt, Obi-Wan can hide his sabers under the back of the jacket that seems like some sort of standard military issue designed for exactly this purpose; probably a remnant of the Revanite Sith empire. With his hair tied back Obi-Wan looks like any other spacer. Kote approves of the additional protection at least and Rex doesn't seem to care. Obi-Wan can remember how much Rex looked like Boba before showing up in the past younger and now Kote is the one who looks like Boba's twin—for the sake of convenience he lets the Mandalorians assume that is the case.

Jango continues not to wake up until Mandalore sends out a patrol that comes back with medical supplies to hook up a nutrient infusion. Despite knowing at least one of the Mandalorians is a medic they leave Jango's care to Obi-Wan, a fact he is coming to suspect is because they believe them married. That Boba continues to call him Obi'buir is confusing the matter some along with Kote and Rex following him around like tooka kits. It's unlikely he could convince them they aren't riduure if he tried. Hopefully Jango doesn't cause a scene when he does wake, but if nothing else at least linguistic drift has affected Basic much more strongly than Mando'a in the millennia between the Mandalorian Wars and 974 ARR. If Jango starts shouting when he wakes up, he'll default to Basic out of habit alone and Obi-Wan will have time to calm him down before having to explain to their hosts.

After a week Obi-Wan drags Boba out of their improvised lean-to against the cliff face to bathe again.

"What's Jango going to think when he wakes up and you've been sitting around so long you can't even walk anymore?" he huffs. "You're too young to move like an old man."

Boba splashes sullenly in the shallow water. "You don't make Rex walk."

"Rex walks plenty and he's younger than you anyway." Obi-Wan reels Boba closer and starts scrubbing. "He's learning."

Rex is standing in even shallower waters propped up by Kote and peering curiously into the water. There are small amphibians living at the edges of the pond and fish farther in, but nothing that Obi-Wan is worried about the children running into. It's endearing how Rex toddles around chasing every interesting thing he sees and Kote trails after like a mother strill. At least they are enjoying the jungle because Boba has a never-ending litany of complaints when he can be pried out of their definitely not waterproof shelter. Once Obi-Wan releases him Boba grudgingly wanders off to practice his blaster aim on the local lizards.

It takes just short of a tenday for Jango to finally wake up. Obi-Wan is sitting at the opening to their little shelter watching Rex and Kote investigate wildflowers and Boba harass the more indulgent Mandalorians, distracted enough that he misses it when Jango first wakes up. The clatter of beskar plates behind him startles him and he turns to see Jango has already pulled out the IV.

"Careful," he directs at Jango before turning and shouting to get the children's attention. "Ad'ike! Come here."

Rex needs no more encouragement to wander over and desposit himself in Obi-Wan's lap followed closely by Kote, but as usual Boba grumbles a bit before abandoning his latest victim. Boba is far more enthusiastic when he realize his father is awake, flinging himself against Jango with enough force Obi-Wan is concerned he'll concuss himself on the beskar.

"When did you learn Mando'a?" Jango asks, though he's paying more attention to Boba than Obi-Wan.

"On Mandalore, during the Clan Wars."

Jango looks over, expression caught between confusion and suspicion. "What were you doing on Manda'yaim?"

"Getting shot at, mostly," he answers flatly. "I was protecting Duchess Kryze after her father was murdered. Death Watch wanted us both dead."

Rex reaches up to pat his face. Obi-Wan smiles and taps a finger against Rex's nose, laughing when he goes cross-eyed. Kote is watching Boba and Jango instead of Rex for once with one hand holding the collar of Obi-Wan's jacket. The colors favor the same browns as his Jedi robes for the most part. Once Jango isn't thinking about Obi-Wan's mission history anymore he does a double take—though whether it's because two of his children are now years younger or the smuggler outfit Obi-Wan isn't sure. He doesn't comment on either.

"Where are we?"

"Dxun, although that's the least of our worries." He gestures expansively toward the surrounding camp. "It's after the fall of the Revanites and before the rise of the Sith Triumvirate. I'm afraid I don't know the old calendars well enough to guess a year."

Jango puts on his helm and steps out of the shade, Boba still clinging to his waist, and freezes when he sees the crusader-style beskar'gam. It distracts him from starting a fight immediately. Which is the best outcome, really, because Jango only just woke up a tenday after whatever the Sith ritual drained him for and he doesn't know how the Mandalorians who took them in will react to the inevitable argument. In addition to that Rex does not enjoy shouting and although Kote is less likely to flinch it makes him uncomfortable too. Another subject he's going to be questioning Jango on.

"Fortunately Mandalore the Preserver is willing to endure the presence of a Jedi for the sake of a verd and his children, but it's still best I'm not recognizable as one."

With Jango awake, Obi-Wan heads down to Onderon to get some information first hand and to earn some credits if he can. Between their lack of resources and their inability to stick together long without arguing it's for the best they spend some time apart so Jango can regain his equilibrium and Obi-Wan can ensure they aren't surviving solely off the generosity of the Mandalore. For now he still has to go down to the planet with one of the Mandalorians who has other business there.

The game of choice in the cantinas is pazaak instead of sabacc, though the goals of the two games are similar enough. After selling one of the vibroshivs he keeps in his boots he has enough credits to join in without resorting to the fighting ring or whatever the shifty-looking Duro in one of the side rooms is up to and then makes enough to put himself forward for swoop racing. He can't afford to purchase a swoop bike, of course, but the track rents them out. Swoop racing is easier than some speeder chases he's been caught in—force knows Anakin's driving left much to be desired—and unlike podracing a crash is rarely an guaranteed death sentence. Good reflexes and near perfect use of the boosters on his last run bring him into second place. It's a very good ranking for someone using a rented swoop bike, enough to get the crowd watching the run times post talking about how much better he'd do with a better bike. His prize comes out to enough credits to make back double the rental fee and a small metal cube. The cube is a box of some sort, but he knows that only because he can feel the edges of the perfectly shaped hollow space in the middle even if whatever alloy it's constructed of makes it impossible to tell what if anything is inside.

"You must have raced before!" a Zabrak says from behind him while he inspects the box. "Ever thought about getting sponsored?"

"My brother liked doing it," he answers. Basic doesn't have any form of grammar to explain time travel and he knows better anyway, so he settles for placing his past in the past. He must have given something away with the statement, because she just nods knowingly.

"Sith got a lot of people. Still! You should think about getting a sponsor and joining the races on Manaan!"

He nods noncommittally, wandering off as soon as she stops paying attention.

His wagers having paid off, he now has enough credits to pick up a more substantial vibroblade than the one he sold to carry as an obvious weapon and a holster for the blaster Kote still has with some left over. It's a good thing he picks up languages so quickly or his inability to make himself understood in a Basic four millennia removed from the language he knows would make it impossible to blend in no matter how he dresses. Racing didn't need much talking, but the less attention he draws the better and negotiations go much better when the merchants aren't assuming he's uneducated or stupid. It's easy to forget sometimes while twisting flowers into crowns and necklaces for the children that they are caught in a very dangerous part of history.

The Mandalorian who brings him back to Dxun gives the blade an appreciative look.

When they get back to camp Jango is trying to convince Kote to hand his blaster over. It doesn't seem likely to work anytime soon. Rex is playing with the grass at their feet unconcerned with the argument happening over his head. When Obi-Wan gets close Rex is the first to notice.

"Obi!" he cheers, rolling to his feet and colliding with Obi-Wan's leg.

Obi-Wan leans down to pick him up, ignoring the shredded grass Rex drops down his collar as he curls into Obi-Wan's neck.

"He can't have my blaster," Kote says mutinously before circling around Jango to cling to Obi-Wan himself.

"You are doing a very good job taking care of it," Obi-Wan reassures him.

"Shouldn't you be against this?" Jango cuts in.

Obi-Wan rolls his eyes and looks over at him. "I'm the one who gave it to him. If you don't want your sons to have blasters you shouldn't leave them unsupervised on Sith worlds."

He pulls the holster from where it was tucked into his belt with one hand and passes it to Kote, who demonstrates that he knows exactly how to put it on then improvises some modifications when the added weight of the blaster threatens to drag it to the ground. Over six years Obi-Wan has seen Jango all sorts of frustrated, but this is the first time it's ever made him speechless. He takes inappropriately petty satisfaction in that.

"We're not done with this."

"No, we have several topics to discuss. Like why Rex and Kote are so much younger than they were while the rest of us haven't changed and why you let a Sith talk you into taking your children to Korriban." Obi-Wan shifts, bouncing Rex in his arms much to the toddler's delight. "I would also like to know why you make the habit of traveling with only one of your children."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> rip


	4. Chapter 4

Honestly it was only a matter of time before they ended up in a situation like this, Obi-Wan thinks as he listens to the Republic soldiers argue about their fates. It is understandable that he would forget some details of an era long past. It is also very inconvenient that he forgot something that is turning out to matter so much. Jango Fett of Clan Fett and House Mereel has had only himself and his children for as long as Obi-Wan has known them, but Cassus Fett of Clan Fett—Obi-Wan can't begin to guess which House Clan Fett is currently tied to—is relatively recently remembered as ordering the genocide of Cathar. That Cassus Fett died at Malachor V and Jango never met him anyway doesn't seem to matter much, just as Obi-Wan gets the impression his own association with Jango is outweighing any other considerations. From his childhood perspective four thousand years in the future the name of Mandalore the Ultimate's second in command was an unimportant detail, something he suspects is true of Jango as well. Not that he can ask, because Jango is currently unconscious.

His thoughts are wandering down tangents instead of listening to the soldiers. He is mildly concussed from the skirmish that led to their capture and dosed with a force suppressant which is making it hard to focus. Being unable to focus means he can't release the mag cuffs he and Jango are bound with by more conventional means. Very inconvenient. Almost as inconvenient as their very different fighting styles being identified as a potential weakness and then used against them. By binding them together with mag cuffs. If his recollection is correct his concussion is Jango's doing rather than their captors. One might be forgiven for expecting them to be better coordinated with each other after almost a year, but generally speaking they avoid each other when they can't be civil for the children's sake and after the excruciating discussion they had about Jango and his _clones_ when they first arrived that means they usually avoid each other. It certainly put his first meeting with Kote and Rex in a different light.

Tangents.

"—casualties are being counted, sir—" Obi-Wan overheard from the next room over. He must not have been out long if he hasn't been transferred to a proper holding cell yet. There shouldn't have been any casualties, though, as they were only passing through chasing a bounty on some slavers before ending up unexpectedly in the middle of a firefight with the Republic. The exact details escape him, but he's sure they didn't shoot anyone who didn't shoot at them first. Mostly sure. At least sixty percent.

He follows the conversation in fits and starts, only getting enough to know they haven't been taken off Corellia yet. They are going to be late getting back to the ship. Rex might cry. More concerning was the fact that none of the children are old enough to cook themselves a meal and Obi-Wan is already unsure how long he and Jango have been gone. There are easy snacks aboard, but that won't last more than a few days and hardly constitutes proper nutrition. Obi-Wan rolls his head to the side and tries to look around the room. Nausea makes his vision swim and the brighter light coming in through the open doorway makes his head pound. This is definitely not any sort of official holding cell. In hindsight, he isn't so sure Republic forces make the habit of carrying force suppressants this far from the ragged boarders of the former Revanite Empire. They would do a better job of securing prisoners than putting them in a room cuffed to each other, too. He rolls the opposite direction toward Jango and fumbles with the seals on his helm. One of Jango's hands comes up to bat him away.

"Get up."

Jango makes the same noise Boba makes when he's woken up before he wants to be.

"We've been captured, get up."

He tugs on Jango by way of the cuffs holding them together, trying to get himself upright as much as Jango. At least Jango doesn't seem to be either concussed or very strongly sedated himself because Obi-Wan is in no position to be useful at the moment. Jango's unbound hand snaps out to grab him by the arm before he falls over sideways.

"Chakaaryc."

"Vulgar," Obi-Wan wheezes from his slumped over position, "but an accurate representation of the situation. It didn't occur to me at all that we might have to worry about people associating you with Cassus Fett."

By the face Jango makes he needs a bit to remember who Cassus Fett is. Once it connects he swears again.

"—hear something."

Obi-Wan tries to straighten out and turn toward the door at the same time and almost lands on his face instead, but Jango hauls him closer. The person who steps into the room is definitely not a member of the Republic navy. They might, however, be a Green Jedi. There would be force suppressants at the Corellian temple and, now that he was paying attention, both his lightsabers are gone. That would be much preferable to anyone else who might have suppressants on hand, even if Jango would disagree. Jango took jobs from a Sith, didn't notice when two of his clones stowed away on his ship, and then left three children alone on Korriban while he went grave-robbing. Obi-Wan doesn't much care about Jango's opinions on the subject.

"—seven people injured. Why shouldn't we hand you over to Judicial?"

Ah. He drifted off again.

Obi-Wan blinks slowly, trying to puzzle out the question. He doesn't remember injuring seven people, but they are probably counting Jango as well. Maybe he's lost more time than he realized? They need to get back to the ship before Boba talks Kote into attempting a rescue. He barely avoids throwing up whatever's in his stomach as the whole world heaves; by the time his head stops spinning Jango has them both off the ground, holding Obi-Wan up with his free arm. He squirms, trying to find a position where the edges of Jango's beskar'gam doesn't dig into a soft spot, and Jango almost drops him back on the floor. The mag cuffs are probably the only thing that stops him. Fingers touch his temple and he can feel his scattered thoughts coming back in order as the concussion clears up.

"My thanks," he says, straightening up. "You wouldn't happen to be able to tell us how long it's been?"

"Do you have somewhere to be?"

Now that he can see straight their warden is definitely one of the Green Jedi and in possession of both his lightsabers; near human and without any of the obvious signs that would tell him more specifically what type beyond the hexagonal pupils. They have a saber pike slung over one shoulder, but none of the armor that temple guards wear. Of course, he also has to account for four thousand years of change and the Corellian temple's tendency toward heterodoxy. It can also be more simply that in a time of war people choose weapons with which they have a greater affinity.

"Obi-Wan Kenobi, he/him, thank you. We have children to feed, two of whom might get it into their heads to come rescue us if we take too long."

Jango grimaces, but doesn't object. No matter how much he plays favorites he knows full well Boba is... adventurous. Frequently too adventurous for a seven year old child.

"Jedi Knight Falynn Fenn, xie/xir," xie introduces xirself in return. Xie inspects them closely and Obi-Wan can feel faint probing against his shields and does his best to return a short memory of Boba, Kote, and Rex without broadcasting it across the galaxy. Modulating his mental volume is much harder through the suppressant. "I see. We were conducting a raid on the smugglers when you showed up. Our investigations have revealed that they were working with a Sith apprentice, so you'll have to forgive us for taking precautions. Especially considering your... companion."

Obi-Wan let himself fall back onto his diplomatic training to avoid giving away his irritation, but Knight Fenn's narrowed eyes tell him that reaction gave it away anyway. It's been only a decade since Malachor V and the Republic has had no peacetime to rebuild since then. Jango is old enough to have fought in the Mandalorian Wars, even if they didn't exist in the past until a year ago. The Jedi of this time don't know that—can't know the details of their history.

"We were unable to find you in the Jedi records, but we did not have your name then." Understandable that they might worry he is a Sith when they can't know he's a Jedi. Still frustrating. "Of course, with so many of our archives destroyed we may need to create a new record for you. You will have to stay on Corellia while that happens."

It's not like they can't spare a week. Their lack of identification is a periodic problem when they do wander into Republic space, more for Obi-Wan than Jango who is assumed to have Mandalorian citizenship. If the Corellian temple will just generate a legitimate record for him it will be worth the time spent so he can move more openly—for a given value of open. The archives at Ossus have been destroyed for forty years by now, but in the last few months the high council met only for their location to be bombed by the newly established Sith Triumvirate. As the temple hosting the council and being a large temple on a little inhabited planet it also once hosted a creche and—as a result—many of the Order's member records. It is reasonable that there might be Jedi in the galaxy unknown to the Order because their records were housed there—

"Dantooine," he says. "I never spent much time there."

In fact, he has only been to the remains of the Dantooine temple once during one of his many missions as a padawan that saw him separated from Master Qui-Gon. Knight Fenn nods and fortunately doesn't question him any further on the topic. At least xie is apparently convinced of their innocence in this matter. They are just stepping out of the back room as Knight Fenn relinquishes Obi-Wan's sabers when a red-bladed saber melts through the door of the building and starts carving it open. The building appears to be a CorSec office or safe house, though an outlying one with no holding cells. No one but the three of them are there which is probably for the best; a fight in cramped quarters is difficult enough when you don't have to worry about friendly fire.

"What timing! There would be your Sith, then."

"Shut up for once," Jango hisses.

"Perhaps they heard you made captures during your raid and have come to free their allies," Obi-Wan says to Knight Fenn. He pauses and reminds himself this is a Sith. "Or silence them."

They're still bound together and Obi-Wan doesn't have the advantage of the force to aid him nor can Jango make use of his deadly close quarters skills. A slugthrower would make an ideal, if uncivilized, solution, but they don't have one. He carefully hooks Qui-Gon's saber onto its clip and shifts his own to his free hand. Between Jango's beskar and Obi-Wan's impressive passive shielding they aren't especially vulnerable to any mind tricks the Sith may attempt. Although the Sith have non-force sensitive soldiers, a lightsaber is reserved for those who possess at least enough power to some day rise to higher ranks within the empire and same as the Jedi with that comes a certain amount of training. That's his understanding of the empire's operation, at least. Admittedly the Revanite Empire is unusual in its operation for the Sith, but it seems to be the case that they intentionally trained non-force sensitives without allowing them sabers. They are known as Jedi Killers whether they earn the title as Jango did or not. The coming fight really would be much easier if he and Jango could get the cuffs off—their poor showing in the morning is only partially the result of the current tension between them, after all—but Knight Fenn doesn't have the key and the cortosis alloy shorts out lightsabers. As xie said earlier, the temple was looking for this Sith.

Lightsaber or not, it takes time to cut a hole through durasteel. Only couple of minutes, but long enough for Jango to get his hands on something decently sharp. It is an impressively bad time for them to be bound together like this.

The molten gash tracing around the door finally goes full circle and flies inward. Obi-Wan and Jango narrowly dodge as they almost trip each other up trying to move opposite directions. Not the most auspicious start. The Sith identifies them as the weakest link and jumps at them faster than Obi-Wan is prepared for with no warning from the force. He dodges, trying not to get in Jango's way and deflecting saber swings as best he can without full range of movement. A twisting evasion brings his attention back to the mag cuffs and he remembers they're a cortosis alloy. It'll need good timing, but—

Obi-Wan wrenches their bound arms up to block a swing with the cortosis cuffs, causing the lightsaber to spark and short out. It will take a few minutes before the plasma settles enough from the reverberations to be re-ignitable. Jango takes advantage and gets in a solid punch to the temple with his other fist, knocking the Sith down while Knight Fenn scrambles for another dose of force suppressant. Their lack of coordination won't get them killed this time.

The members of CorSec who come to secure the Sith also have the key for the cuffs, pressing it against the sensor and catching them when they spring open to use on their new captive instead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> from this point on I cannot guarantee that chapters will get posted on time anymore ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


End file.
